Modify Trading Solution Input Assignments Dialog: External Data

The Apply a Trading Solution Wizard allows you to create one or more predefined fields that typically perform interrelated functions. This page allows you to select which external data to use for solutions that use more than one data series.

&  For help with trading solutions, see Working with Complete Trading Solutions.

Selecting External Data

Trading solutions are created based on a field in a data series. When that field relies on information in fields from other data series, the trading solution created from that field is said to rely on external data. These fields from external data are stored with the symbol associated with their original data series. For example, a trading solution that uses the Dow Jones Industrial Average to predict stock prices may have external data with the name "DJI".

The external data required by the selected trading solution is displayed in a list. If TradingSolutions can resolve the external data symbol to a ticker symbol in the portfolio, it will default to using that data series. In most cases, if you created the trading solution with data in this portfolio, you will not need to change anything on this page.

This page allows you to perform two tasks.

·      Adjust for inconsistent ticker symbols.

Companies have a predefined ticker symbol that is associated with their stock in the stock market. However, market indices, options, and indicators do not have specific ticker symbols. Different data services and sources may use different symbols to designate the same data. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average may be "DJI" on one service and "$INDU" on another.
When using a trading solution provided from another trading solutions user, it may be necessary to adjust their external data symbols to point to the correct data. In the above example, if they use "DJI" to point to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, but your data source labels this data "$INDU", you can indicate to use your Dow Jones Industrial Average data.

·      Try a trading solution with different data.

When experimenting with financial data, it may be desirable to try several different sets of data to see which provides the best results. For example, after developing a trading solution that uses the Dow Jones Industrial Average, you may want to try the same approach with the S&P 100. Rather than changing each of the inputs, you can change the entire solution to use a different set of external data. This is especially useful when multiple fields from the external data series are used.

To select a data series to use for external data, select the data you would like to specify from the list of required external data. Then, select the data series you would like to use and press the Select button. If multiple external data series are required, the dialog will automatically proceed to the next required data series. You can also select to use a field by double-clicking the data series name in the selection tree.

&  For help using the selection tree, see the help for Selection Trees.

Importing Unresolved Data

Trading solutions do not include data. Therefore, trading solutions which require external data may require this data to be imported if it is not already available in the portfolio.

·      Import Unresolved Symbols

This button provides basic support for importing external data which has symbols that are not currently included in this portfolio. Settings for the data source, date ranges, and periodicity will all be taken from the data where the trading solution is being applied. Newly imported data is placed in a custom subgroup called "Solution Data".

Ä    Note: Cases where other periodicities need to be imported, other data sources should be accessed, or a larger date range is needed must currently be imported manually. This button is only meant to cover the majority of the cases where external data is used.

What Do I Do Next?

Press the OK button to save your changes or select another property page. If you would like to exit from this dialog without performing any changes, press the Cancel button.

Additional Property Pages

The Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog also includes a Solution Inputs page.

How Did I Get Here?

The Modify Trading Solution Inputs Dialog appears when you press the Modify Inputs… button on the Apply a Trading Solution Wizard: Create Fields page. The External Data page will only appear if the selected trading solution requires external data.

Ä    Note: After trading solutions are applied, the created fields cannot be modified as a solution. The individual fields are modified instead.